Flower Red in Blood and Fire
by StormyAngel12
Summary: A young mercenary drifting through life finds himself enlisted as a teacher at the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery. It would seem that an easy year lies ahead of him, yet something is not right in Fodlan, and the ensuing events will change not only his own fate, but that of all those he comes to know and love. (An adaptation of the game. Byleth and Edelgard Centric.)
1. Prologue

**Foreword**: Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a good game, with an exceptional story. However, because that story is told through the medium of a game, it suffers a bit in some places. The goal of this work is to adapt that story into a friendlier medium. This fanfiction is an _adaptation_ of the story of Three Houses, _not_ a novelization. It will quote verbatim from the game wherever doing so will serve to improve the story, and it will diverge liberally from the game wherever doing so will improve the story. Spoilers abound, obviously.

Disclaimer: I do not own Three Houses, nor its excellent characters.

* * *

**_Flower Red in Blood and Fire_**

**_Prologue_**

_Verdant Rain Moon, Imperial Year 1175_

It was a dark and cold place, Ionius observed with grit teeth. The torches seemed dimmer than normal down there beneath the imperial palace, and the stone corridors were filled with constantly moving shadows.

"This way, Your Majesty." His guide murmured. Ionius' rage simmered, as he followed the Marquis down. The head of house Vestra had once been his closest ally and a trusted friend. Then the man had personally led an assault on the palace that had reduced Ionius to a mere figurehead. The Insurrection of the Seven, as it came to be known, had destroyed his happy marriage and put an end to his ambitions.

If that had been all, perhaps Ionius could have forgiven him. But it had not ended there.

He was led into a small chamber filled with stone tables. Dried blood painted their sides in streaks, and he could see several bodies, gruesome remnants of a torturous experiment, that had not even been removed yet. The sight turned Ionius' anger to despair. He had long since lost any power to stop this madness.

His eyes caught on one of the forms, which lay still and small, resting on a far table. It was only a _child. _He contemplated it sadly. He had never held any illusions abut himself. As Emperor, Ionius had given orders that had caused the innocent to suffer, and the ease with which those orders had come to him frightened even him. He had lost many a night's rest to an overwhelming feeling of guilt.

But even his soul shrunk at the sight of this horror.

Unexpectedly, the child _moved. _She pulled herself into a sitting position slowly, as if the motion pained her. And her wide lavender eyes met his as they widened in shock.

That was his _daughter_.

His body moved instinctively, taking two swift steps forward in an effort to reach his daughter, but he was physically intercepted by the Marquis' men, who seized his shoulders in restraint.

"Your Majesty. Please restrain yourself." Marquis Vestra sounded pained, yet the guilt Ionius could see upon his old friend's face did nothing to assuage his rage. His eyes flickered over to his poor girl, turned thirteen just two moons prior.

He almost didn't recognize her. She was dressed in a simple white smock that was smeared with blood and dirt, unbefitting her station, but it was her hair that had changed the most…

Her hair was white.

Ionius fists clenched tight, fingernails cutting into flesh as he beheld his beloved Patricia's daughter. She had been the spitting image of her mother when last he saw her, with brown hair and a smile. He could still recall the look on her face as her laughter echoed in her eyes…

Now her eyes were as cold as the stone around her. His blood drained at the very sight. His _daughter!_

"You monsters." He growled.

"Please, Your Majesty." An unwelcome voice drawled out behind him. "The Prime Minister is only working to strengthen the Empire. Your heir will need to be exceptionally strong."

Ionius slowly turned, trembling in anger, to face Volkhard Arundel, one of the men responsible for this monstrous butchery. Volkhard didn't even seem to notice, displaying no emotion at all on his face.

It was Volkhard who supervised the 'work' of the experiments which Duke Aegir had ordered. He had watched as each and every one of Ionius children bled beneath the knife, not to mention countless other innocents.

To this day, Ionius couldn't understand it. The Volkhard he knew years before would never have accepted such a task, but the way this man could face his victims without any sign of emotion gave Ionius nightmares.

"And has it?" He demanded. "Has your work _strengthened_ the Empire?"

Perhaps he shouldn't push, not when he had no real power at all, and yet Ionius was losing his grip. It was feeling harder and harder to remember why he held himself back. He was losing any reason he once had to maintain what little power remained to him. He had just returned from burying the last of his sons, another victim of this mad plot to enhance the imperial succession.

But again, Volkhard was unfazed. He merely gestured some kind of signal to someone beyond Ionius.

"That is what we are about to find out, Your Majesty."

A pair of men in dark robes stepped forward to grasp his daughter. They pulled her, unresisting, from the stone slab upon which she had rested and carried her to the center of the room. There, Ionius saw that a device of some sort had been installed.

The two men stood his daughter up before it, then stepped back into the shadows. The girl stood as still as a startled fawn. Other than her eyes, which danced to and fro, she didn't show any sign that she noticed she had been moved about at all. It made his heart ache that she was reduced to this wild thing. That he couldn't protect her.

"Step forward." Volkhard ordered her, his voice brooked no disobedience. The girl flinched, then stepped into the analyzer, whereupon its magic activated with a recognizable whirl of light. Ah…it was a device for identifying Crests then. Ionius had never seen one so compact before.

Crests were the manifestations of power that passed down through noble blood. The Prime Minister, Duke Aegir, had initiated this bloodthirsty experiment in order to produce an imperial heir that bore a powerful crest.

The Crest of Seiros manifested quickly, as it always had in his daughter. A minor manifestation, but the only one of any of his children. The analyzer's magic detected the crest and displayed it high in the air for all to see. Ionius had once received the news of his youngest daughter's crest and rejoiced. Now it was nothing but a bitter reminder of all that he had lost.

The analyzer continued, it's magic still swirling in the air, and a larger crest began to manifest. Ionius' eyes widened as a _major_ crest was displayed in the air. He couldn't identify it, wasn't familiar with it, but it didn't matter. _Nobody_ held two crests.

Nobody but his daughter. Somehow, Volkhard's experiments had succeeded. It left a bitter taste in his mouth to consider that his ministers would now feel _vindicated_ in their butchery. His buried sons and daughters would see no justice now.

"The Crest of Flames." Volkhard sounded exceptionally pleased. Something twisted in Ionius stomach to hear that tone. Would this be enough?

"Are you done?" He demanded.

Volkhard didn't bother to respond, he merely gestured to the Marquis and his men.

"Marquis, please show the Emperor out, if you would. There are a few more tests we need to run before we can return his heir to him."

Ionius fought to keep his tongue, both enraged and yet simultaneously hopeful. After all they had done, they were just going to…let her go? His daughter, his only remaining child, was going to _survive?_

He was too faint with the sudden release to resist the Marquis men, who ushered him out. Even if he had been, he wouldn't have dreamed of antagonizing Volkhard now. His daughter's life had been restored to him, and with it hope. He couldn't risk that.

The men in dark robes returned to their work shifting bodies as Volkhard exited the room, deep in discussion with his favorite surgeon. As the witnesses all departed, a change came over the girl who stood abandoned in the center of the room. Her shoulders set, and her body stilled, and she dared to raise her eyes for the first time that day.

The surgeons and the _others_ didn't like it when she resisted them, and they made her suffer for it, so she had learned to do as she was told. This was the first time she had been overlooked in a long time, a first step on the road to her freedom.

But Edelgard didn't care about any of that. She stood perfectly still, gazing upward at the new crest. A crest for which she had watched all of her siblings suffer through long and painful deaths. A crest for which countless innocent lives were sacrificed before her eyes. And now, at the end of her torment, those very eyes gazed upon that crest with an overwhelming feeling of hatred. Hatred that burned.


	2. The Edge of Dawn

_Five years later…_

"Hey, time to wake up." Jeralt's voice pulled Byleth out of his slumber, his eyes snapping open to take in the humble wooden walls of the inn. Byleth appreciated them all the same. As mercenaries, they had often stayed in worse places.

"I'm up." He replied, rising to prepare for the day. It didn't take him long. Jeralt had raised him on the road, and so he didn't have much attachment to material things beyond the functional. His sword, his armor, a basic pack of supplies, and some books for study. He led a simple life, but far from a bad one.

Jeralt stood in the doorway by the time he finished, waiting for him. "Were you having that dream again?"

Byleth hesitated. His dreams had always seemed…real. Far too real for the kind of things he often heard others speak of. As a child he had learned to keep them to himself, but Jeralt was the one he'd always trusted them with. Well…everything but the girl he often dreamt of napping on a throne. He'd never told anyone about her.

"I was dreaming about a war…"

"Massive armies clashing on a vast field right?" Jeralt repeated what he'd told him once before. His father frowned. "There hasn't been a battle like that in over three centuries…In any case, just put that out of your mind for now. We need to get moving."

Byleth simply nodded. His father was right of course, because their next job was still a few days away. If they didn't work they would eventually run out of money, and subsequently, food.

"C'mon! Everyone is already waiting for us outside." Jeralt called as he turned to leave. Byleth snorted. It was just like his father to let him sleep in, then scold him for keeping everyone waiting.

"Jeralt, sir!" One of the mercenaries stumbled through the front door. "Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed."

"What's happened?" Jeralt demanded, doubling his pace as he and Byleth both followed the soldier out the door.

"Bandits, sir!" The man replied. "They were pursuing some kids in the woods."

"Bandits! Here?" Jeralt was surprised. Byleth quirked an eyebrow. They'd only come to Fodlan a month earlier, and yet Jeralt seemed to know the territory surprisingly well. His father didn't volunteer much of his own history, but seemed to find the concept of bandits in the Adrestian Empire surprising. He must have been to the area before.

"Where are the kids now?" Byleth asked. Most likely the poor kids would have more information to share.

"Right this way." The soldier indicated as he led them to the village entrance. The rest of the mercenaries in their band had already gathered together. They had arranged themselves into a defensive posture, and several of them were in the process of storing the wagons, which _had_ been prepped for travel, to one side.

But stood just within the gate were three figures Byleth could obviously tell didn't belong. Two young men and a young woman.

The first thing Byleth noticed about them, was that they were wearing matching uniforms. The second, was that they weren't actually children. They were closer to his age, if he had to guess. Probably around eighteen years old. That was still young to men like his father, but hardly the age of a child. They were calmly chatting amongst themselves, which served to demonstrate that whatever their age was, they were certainly more mature than the average person. Most people who had narrowly escaped a pack of bandits would suffer something of a nervous breakdown.

"This is them?" Jeralt queried the soldier, who nodded. The three youths perked up and ended their discussion. Byleth idly wondered where their uniforms came from, as the tall blond one stepped forward into a light bow.

"Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn't bother you were the situation not dire."

Byleth frowned at him.

"Are you apologizing for being pursued by bandits?"

The young man blushed, and his friend stepped forward, clasping him on the shoulder.

"He's got you there, Dimitri." The dark skinned teen had brunette hair, and an easy smile. "We would really appreciate your help, since you look like the sort of people who can handle yourselves in a fight."

"Of course we'll help." Jeralt replied. "We can hardly abandon the village now. Where exactly did you run into these bandits?"

"They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp to the northwest." The girl, who was wearing a red cape with long white hair, answered.

"That's a start, at least." Jeralt looked the three of them over. "Those uniforms…"

"Bandits!" The panicked cry cut through the air. Jeralt cursed, and everyone turned in the direction of the alarm. With the way the hill rose up beyond the town it was easy to spot the group of armed men making their way down it, even in the dim lighting of the early morning.

Byleth would have liked some time to put something of a plan together, but at least the watch had spotted them. Jeralt's mercenaries were an experienced group. They would adapt.

"Keep them safe." Jeralt ordered him, gesturing at the three youths. Then he grabbed the nearest horse and rode over to the gate where several other mercenaries had already mounted their horses. One of them tossed him a spear and the troupe rode out.

The remainder of the men were loading up with arrows and taking up defensive positions along the village's meager walls. Byleth ran to the nearest wagon to set his pack down. He'd been ready to travel, not a fight.

"What can we do?" The blonde youth requested urgently. Byleth looked him over. The three of them had followed him over, clearly eager to stay involved. He got the feeling, 'run and hide' wouldn't go over well.

"Can you fight?" He asked them. The blonde and the girl nodded solemnly, and the other one smirked at him.

"Have you got a bow in that cart?" The smirker replied in answer. Byleth fished one out and tossed it to him along with a quiver of arrows, then gestured for the other two to grab their own weapons from the cart as he worked to strap on his armor, light as it was.

"If I'm giving you weapons, I'll need to at least know your names." He told them. "I'm Byleth."

"Claude." The smirker replied. Then pointed at the other two. "Edelgard. Dimitri."

"Right." Byleth muttered. "Claude, Edelgard, and Dimitri. Now, listen up." The other two had pulled out an axe and a spear respectively from the cart, and seemed to be at least somewhat familiar with their chosen weapons, which would have to be enough.

"If we're going to get involved at all, we're going to be smart about it." He made eye contact with each of them. "Stick together. Keep calm, and above all: follow my orders."

"And why should we do that?" Edelgard challenged with a raised eyebrow. Byleth favored her with a flat look.

"Because we don't have time to introduce you to the men." And he gestured at the various mercenaries lining up against the walls.

"I know how these men fight, so if I call the retreat and you _don't_, then you may find yourself in the middle of a hail of arrows. _Understand_?"

_That_ seemed to impress them. Edelgard was nodding slowly, and Byleth could see in the corner of his eye that Claude was giving him a considering look.

"We'll follow your orders." Dimitri said firmly. The other two agreed.

"Great." Byleth replied. "This way."

And then he proceeded to walk _away_ from the village gate.

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

His three new recruits took a few minutes to catch up with him. Byleth figured they hadn't wanted to follow him away from the fight, which was part of why he'd done that. If they couldn't obey such a simple order, it was better to find out then and there.

When they did catch up with him, half way to the west gate, they looked confused.

"So, uh…Byleth." Claude stumbled over the unfamiliar name. "Why are we going this way? Are you planning some kind of flanking maneuver?"

"Not a chance." Byleth replied. "What's my mission objective?"

"Uh…kill the bandits?" Claude replied. Edelgard rolled her eyes at him.

"No, his leader told him to keep us safe." She made eye contact with Byleth. "We're students at the officers academy, sir. We _can_ fight. You might even say it was our duty."

"Be that as it may," Byleth mentally filed 'the officers academy' away for further investigation when he had a moment. "My job right now is to keep the three of you safe, and that means we're going to stay as far out of the fighting as possible."

"As possible?" Dimitri repeated.

"We also need to protect the village." Byleth craned his neck to look over at the hilltop. The bandits appeared to have spotted Jeralt's troupe riding their way and looked to be _preparing to meet them in battle_. That was weird. Most bandits ran away at the first sign of real opposition.

"You wouldn't happen to know if anyone wants the three of you dead, would you?" Byleth idly questioned. The three of them froze in place. Byleth slowed to a stop, before turning to face them.

"Ah, well. You know how it is." Claude replied with a weak smile. Dimitri had a shadow on his face, and Edelgard appeared troubled. Claude was still talking though, so Byleth ignored them.

"You beat one man at a game of cards and he'll never let you live it down."

The four of them stood there for a second in an awkward silence. Clearly, the three of them knew _something_ but didn't want to communicate it to Byleth. Whatever that something was, all three of them knew it. He itched to figure it out, but restrained himself. There was no time to get it out of them at the moment.

"Must have been an expensive game." He replied, before turning on his heel and continuing towards the village's west gate. The three of them followed shortly, relief apparent on their features.

From the hilltop he could hear the sounds of battle, so hopefully it wouldn't be long before Jeralt came back and took these three off his hands. He had every confidence the mercenaries would make short work of the bandits, whatever their numbers. Then, whatever secrets they held would not be his problem.

They arrived at the west gate which was lightly defended by a pair of villagers, and Byleth's heart sank as he spotted another group of bandits making their way down the other hillside unopposed. Worse, the gate was too wide to defend with just the four of them, and the only mercenaries in sight were a pair of archers manning the wall.

"I count nine men." Edelgard noted. "We can probably take them if we hit them in the woods."

Byleth thought these three had been _running_ from the bandits. They seemed awfully eager to throw themselves back into the fray. Unfortunately, it looked like he had no choice at the moment. He sighed.

"That is our best option, yes." He replied. He glanced from one to the other, making sure he had their attention. "Thugs like these are not trained fighters. If you stick together, and do as I say, we _will_ send them running for the hills."

"We will not be defeated by these ruffians." Dimitri agreed. Claude's grip tightened on his bow, and Edelgard met his gaze evenly. They were as ready as they'd ever be.

"Let's go." He told them. And they ran for the woods at the base of the hill.

The villagers had long since cleared open ground to protect the village against a wildfire, so they had more of a distance to run than Byleth liked. He had to hope the bandits wouldn't spot them—

A cry went up on the hilltop. It was too distant to make out the words, but Byleth felt a grim certainty he could guess what they were anyway. They ducked into the woods immediately after that.

"Alright, they know we're here, so we've lost the advantage of surprise." Byleth told them. "We'll need to rely on defensive tactics to make up for it. Form up like this: Dimitri and I will take point, left and right respectively. Claude, you take the middle, and Edelgard the rear. We'll move as a group and take them out as they filter through the trees."

The three of them clearly did have _some_ military experience, because they all responded quickly and formed up just as ordered. They were tense enough that Byleth thought they must not have a great deal of experience, but the training was there to see, thankfully.

They worked their way through the trees at an angle, headed northwest, because that put Byleth on the north side of the formation which was where the bandits had been coming from the last they'd seen. He was hoping he would manage to take the enemy out one at a time, and the three eager recruits behind his back would mostly just serve to keep him from getting swarmed.

Of course, no plan ever survived contact with the enemy.

The first bandit popped out from behind a tree right in from of Dimitri. Byleth moved to assist, but before he got two steps closer Dimitri had already put the man down with a vicious strike from his spear. Unfortunately, that put Byleth out of position when the _next_ bandit popped into view right back where he'd just been. Byleth had a split second to worry that he wouldn't make it back in time when the shaft of an arrow sprouted from between the man's eyes, and he went down. He glanced back just in time to see Edelgard cut _yet another_ bandit down just behind Claude.

The four of them stood there for a moment, as Byleth took a second to process that _yes_ that really had happened. His estimation of their fighting ability climbed rapidly.

"Good work." He told them, careful to do so quietly. "Let's keep moving."

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

They worked their way through the woods like that for another half hour, encountering five more bandits. Dimitri suffered a small cut, but they otherwise remained uninjured. It was when they ran into another three bandits at once that Byleth realized he had miscalculated.

The enemy had received reinforcements.

The advantage of fighting in the forest was that it tended to favor the smaller, more organized group. It was why Byleth had chosen to take the fight to the bandits rather than wait at the gate. But it also came with the major disadvantage of cutting off their ability to see developments in the larger battle. The mercenaries had been fighting a much larger group of bandits on the other hill, but that didn't mean none of them would slip by. And Byleth didn't know how many bandits there were to start with.

They could easily end up surrounded out there, with no one to come to their aid.

"Back to the village." He ordered them. To their credit, none of his new recruits complained. Not even when he switched the formation so that he and Edelgard were leading from the front left and front right respectively, with Dimitri in the rear.

Unfortunately, they didn't get far before Byleth's fears were proven right. They entered a small clearing just as a large group of bandits also entered it on the opposite side.

"There they are!" The large brute at the front yelled, waving his axe at them. "Get 'em!"

Byleth swiftly calculated the odds. He had been in worse fights, but not often, and never without Jeralt there to back him up. He could guarantee none of his recruits had either. He spent a split second contemplating ordering them all to run and fighting by himself when another voice bellowed into the clearing.

"How dare you attack our students!" The boisterous voice called. "The Knights of Seiros will bring you to justice!"

The bandits were already running across the clearing, so Byleth didn't have more than a moment to glance in the direction of the voice and take note of the newcomers' heavy armor and numerical advantage before the three groups were mixed into a general melee. Even so he felt a flash of relief at the sight.

The bandits were mostly wielding crude axes, which meant they had to swing wide to land any blows, and needed plenty of elbow room. Thankfully, this prevented them from coming at Byleth's little formation with more than three or four men at a time, although some of them were looking to surround them on either side. Those men got a rude awakening by their rescuers, so Byleth ignored them.

Edelgard somehow managed to take on two of the bandits at once, amazingly, despite _also_ using an axe, so Byleth just found himself facing two bandits.

Simple enough.

The two men were dispatched in short order, and so was the man who replaced them, when Byleth heard an angry roar just to his right. He turned to spot the large brutish one from before swinging his axe down at Edelgard, who appeared to have traded her own axe for a dagger at some point. She wasn't moving fast enough, he was going to hit her and-

Byleth leapt-

The axe descended-

The world froze in grey. Byleth felt something, a pull within his chest, and then suddenly everything shifted.

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

Byleth found himself standing half crouched in an empty darkness that seemed to extend on all sides. Disoriented, he tried to get his bearings. Was this what it felt like to die?

"Honestly, what are you accomplishing with that little stunt? It's like you're _trying_ to get me killed you fool!"

Suddenly there was a light, emanating from a large stone throne on a raised dais. Byleth turned to face it, and found himself eye to eye with a…young girl?

"Ah, well. It's fine." The girl sighed. "After all, if you don't know the value of your own life, you're not going to protect it very well, are you?" She chuckled to herself. "Course not."

There was a feeling of…overwhelming familiarity about her. She was wearing ornate robes. Ornate enough to be impractical for common usage, and her massively long hair was bright green. But although Byleth knew he'd never met anyone like her before he couldn't shake the bone deep feeling of _recognition_.

She seemed to take his silence as assent, and stood up to clap her hands together.

"Well then I guess it's up to me to guide you from now on, right? You can call me Sothis, but I'm also known as: 'The Beginning.'"

Suddenly, it clicked.

"…_you_!" Byleth pointed at her. "You're the one."

"What?" She seemed confused.

"You're the one who's been haunting my dreams." Byleth clarified. "I dream of war and blood and then you show up sitting on that damned throne and whine that I'm interrupting your nap."

"I do not _whine_." Sothis snapped. "And besides which, I have no idea what you're talking about. I—" A troubled look crossed her face. "I don't remember who I am."

"You—" Byleth paused. "…What?"

"Sothis…that is my name, yes." She nodded, seemingly to herself. "But who was it that called me, 'The Beginning'?" She shook her head. "I was not able to recall my name…until just now. And just like that, it came to me. How odd."

Byleth frowned and Sothis glared at him.

"That look upon your face…you think I'm some mere child don't you!" It was hard to deny given that he had indeed just been thinking it. "Phooey! That 'child' just saved your life!"

And suddenly Byleth remembered where he had just been. He whirled about, searching the darkness. The bandits, and the knights, and their students. Dimitri, Claude…Edelgard had been…he remembered pushing her out of the way but nothing more.

"What happened?" He whirled back to Sothis urgently. She didn't seem much impressed.

"You threw yourself before an axe to save just one girl." She turned her nose up at him. "Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now."

Byleth wanted to doubt her words, felt like he _should, _and yet there was something that stopped him. He knew, deep down, that she was telling the truth. This girl before him, Sothis, had somehow _stopped time_ in order to prevent his death.

He should probably say something to that.

"Thank you." He offered her a half bow. It was the polite thing to do.

It seemed to satisfy Sothis, who returned to her throne. "There now. Is gratitude so much to ask? I did deem you worth saving, after all." She grimaced. "Though it is only momentary. When time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end."

Yes…now that he could think back, Byleth could see his mistake quite clearly. He had seen the bandit bearing down on Edelgard from her blind spot and had thought to push her out of the way.

Unfortunately, he'd misjudged the timing and didn't have the room to turn about and engage the man himself. If he'd left Edelgard standing, he likely could have interposed himself between the two of them just fine.

"It's quite rude of you to drag me into this, you know." Sothis remarked. Byleth gave her a confused look.

"And how have I done that?" He asked.

"By risking your life!" She crossed her arms in a pout. "That's really not like you. Why did you do it this time?"

"I risk my life all the time." Byleth disagreed. He'd seen plenty of fighting before this. Of course, he'd never come _quite_ so close to dying before. It was frightening actually. He could still feel his blood singing from the fear.

But he'd never felt that kind of fear before. What was so different this time?

Logically, the only difference this time was who he had been protecting, but that didn't make any sense. Edelgard was a stranger to him, as were Dimitri and Claude.

No…Byleth shook his head, discarding the issue. He'd…merely made a mistake. A simple mistake, yes, but such was the lot of a mercenary. They lived or died by their blades, and even one mistake would bring their end.

"Now…what to do?" Sothis mused. "I can't just let time go on, you'll be dead in an instant."

"There's no way to send me back a little earlier?" Byleth asked. "With just a second or two I can guarantee I would survive."

"Of course! I must turn back the hands of time!" Sothis exclaimed.

"The hands…of time…" Byleth sighed. "What is this, a clock?"

"You really are quite troublesome." Sothis replied with a shake of her head, then proceeded to ignore him completely as she stood. A diagram of golden light sprung up before her, rotating slowly in the air.

"Yes, I do believe it can be done." She murmured, examining the diagram. "I cannot wind time back too far, but all is well. You are aware of what's to come, which means you can protect yourself this time."

"I certainly won't jump in front of another axe if I can help it." Byleth remarked dryly.

"That will do." Sothis replied and the world began to swirl about once again, as it had before he'd come to…wherever they currently were. Sothis voice continued to ring out as if from a distance. "Now go, you who bears the flames within."

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

_Byleth heard an angry roar just to his right. He turned to spot the large brutish one swinging his axe down at Edelgard, who appeared to have traded her own axe for a dagger at some point. _

_She wasn't moving fast enough, he was going to hit her and-_

Instead of jumping, Byleth readied his sword, sidestepping into position with both hands on the grip. The bandit had too much momentum to ignore, so he lashed out with an upward swing at the haft and the bandit's axe was flung backwards through the air.

The man stared blankly at his empty hands, before scrambling away as fast as he could.

"Retreat!" Someone cried, and suddenly all of the bandits were running away, scattering in all directions.

Well that just added insult to injury. To think that but for Sothis he might have died _one_ _second_ before the battle was won!

"They're running away?" That familiar boisterous voice called out, clearly offended. "After them!"

The newcomers in heavy armor followed after the bandits, and they were alone in short order so Byleth felt like it was probably safe to take stock of his companion's injuries. Fearing the worst, he turned about to locate them.

Claude was bandaging up what looked like some kind of cut on his arm, and Dimitri leaned panting against a tree, but Edelgard was standing not far behind him. She held her dagger loosely, with sweat beading down her forehead and not a scratch on her, giving him a searching look.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her.

She did not reply immediately, but she did look troubled.

"No," She answered at last. "please forgive me, it has been a trying day." She hesitated. "Thank you for saving my life."

"It was a battle." Byleth pointed out. "You probably saved mine twice over by covering my flank."

"If you say so." She allowed with a faint smile. She put away her dagger and bent to pick up the axe she'd been wielding from the ground where it had fallen. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in a job?"

"That would depend on the job." Byleth shrugged. "But while I _am_ a mercenary, my father's the one who leads our company. You'd need to consult him."

"I think you would manage well enough alone actually." She replied. "But that is a matter for another time."

"Indeed, Edelgard." Dimitri spoke up, apparently having caught his breath. "I'd like to extend my own offer as well."

Byleth really wasn't interested in any of this, but the banter was probably helping them relax, which he'd learned was important from his father's men. They had just been thrown into the deep end, after all.

"Wow, the two of you sure move fast." Claude complained with a sigh. "Personally I'd planned to establish a deep and lasting friendship before begging for favors. But it seems there's no time for niceties in this world." He turned to Byleth. "Tell me, have you ever been to the Leicester Alliance?"

"As a matter of fact, I—"

"Students!" Byleth was cut off by a sudden booming voice, who he turned to face. "Thank goodness we've found you! And who's this?"

The man standing behind him was dressed in heavy armor, splashed with blood from the fight and covered in sweat. His voice was recognizable as the one who had been calling the orders when they came to their rescue so Byleth offered him a bow. In the process he spotted the crest of the Knights of Seiros emblazoned upon the armor.

Byleth had heard a great deal about the knights over the past month, but he'd never truly thought to meet them. Mercenaries usually filled in where the armed forces of the land were _not_ present. Well, the ones on the right side of the law did, at least.

"This is Byleth, Sir." Dimitri replied. "He's one of the mercenaries who protected us from these bandits."

"Speaking of which," Byleth was reminded. "We should really see about getting back to Jeralt. He'll be—"

"Did you say Jeralt?" The knight cut in, suddenly eager. "Surely not Jeralt the Blade Breaker?" He seemed shocked, but almost hopeful, as if he had yearned to meet Byleth's father in person since he was but a youth.

"I have heard him called that on occasion." Byleth admitted cautiously. It was an appellation his father frequently dismissed as pointless fantasy, but Byleth often thought it had brought them work more than once. The knight lit up like a ball of fire.

"Oh wonderful!" He turned and all but ran back through the clearing. "Quickly, we must find him!"

"I suppose that works." Byleth allowed with a sigh as the knight slipped from view. He turned to the three of them.

"C'mon, we should head back. The bandits seem to have fled in full, but we can't be too careful." The three students, and if they _were_ students of the Knights of Seiros that would explain a great deal, fell in line with him as he set off back towards the village. Edelgard slid up beside him.

"Your father is the Blade Breaker?" She sounded incredulous. "Former captain of the Knights of Seiros. Oft praised as the strongest man to ever live. Have I missed anything?" Byleth looked at her in surprise.

"I didn't know he was a captain." He replied uneasily. And didn't that just explain so much? His father's familiarity with the region, the knight's eagerness and reaction to his name. Unfortunately it raised just as many questions, such as: why had he left? Why stay away from Fodlan for all these years?

"How curious." Edelgard noted, her thoughts apparently matching his. "I'd wager the explanation for that is fascinating indeed."

She seemed to sense his discomfort though, because she left it at that, much to his gratitude.

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

They made it back to the village just in time to see their rescuer pull Byleth's father into a bear hug.

"Captain Jeralt! It _is _you!" The knight exclaimed. "Goodness, it's been ages."

Jeralt just sighed and pushed the knight off him.

"Don't you recognize me? It's Alois! Your old right-hand man!" Alois looked sheepish. "Well, that's how I always thought of myself anyway."

"You haven't changed a bit, Alois." Jeralt replied dourly. "Just as loud as ever. And drop that 'captain' nonsense. I'm not your captain anymore. These days I'm just a wandering mercenary."

Whatever the knight had expected out of this reunion, it didn't look like he was going to get it.

By that time Byleth and the students had arrived at the gate, and Jeralt gave Byleth a relieved look over Alois shoulder. "And one who has work to do. Good-bye old friend." Then he turned back towards the village.

"Right… Good-bye, Captain." Alois seemed almost morose, but then he smacked himself in the face and grabbed Jeralt's arm. "Wait! That isn't how this ends. I insist that you return to the monastery with me!"

Monastery?

"You are coming with us to the monastery right?" Claude bumped Byleth with his shoulder. "I'd love to bend your ear as we travel."

"Garreg Mach Monastery…" Jeralt looked resigned, then glanced towards Byleth's company. "And that would make you three students at the officers academy. I suppose this was inevitable."

"We were doing some training exercises when those bandits attacked." Claude explained. "I definitely got the worst of it."

"That would be because you ran off." Edelgard scoffed. But Claude didn't seem offended.

"Too true!" He replied cheerfully. "I was the first to make a strategic retreat." He turned to Byleth. "Everything would have worked out if these two hadn't followed me and ruined everything. Because of them, every single one of those bandits chased after us. Utterly ridiculous."

"Ah, so that's what you were thinking." Dimitri seemed appalled. "And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all."

"His intentions were as clear as day." Edelgard sniffed. "You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words."

"Hmph." For whatever reason, the criticism seemed to bite deeply. "You will prove a lacking ruler if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust those whom you rely on."

When they offered him a job, Byleth had begun to suspect his new friends were rather highly born, likely as members of Fodlan's nobility. Now he started to wonder just _how_ highly born they were.

"Oh joy. A debate between Their Highnesses." Claude monotoned. "I wonder how being completely predictable affects one's ability to wield power." His face lit up in a smirk. "Personally, as the embodiment of distrust, I'd say your little exchange smacks of naivete."

"Me? Naive?" Edelgard looked horribly offended. "Tell me, are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self-awareness a condition of some sort?"

"In any case, forgive our digression." Dimitri intervened with a pointed glance at Alois. He and Jeralt were watching the whole exchange with rather clear amusement, and Edelgard and Claude immediately settled down.

Their discipline likewise pointed to noble birth, and Byleth was beginning to have some thoughts about why the bandits had been chasing them in the first place. Not that it was really his business, but it was nice to have some kind of an answer. Byleth hated unresolved mysteries.

"Well, it seem's you've all met already." Alois turned to Byleth. "And how about you kid? Are you the captain's child?"

"I'm a bandit." Byleth replied dryly. Alois chuckled.

"Great sense of humor this one. Clearly cut from the same cloth as you Captain." He remarked to Jeralt, who frowned at Byleth for encouraging the man. "I'd love for you to see the monastery too. You will join me, right?"

There was a moment of awkward silence as the students looked to Byleth and Byleth looked to his father. Jeralt just sighed.

"What's troubling you, Captain?" Alois asked. "You aren't about to run off again, are you?"

"Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knight's of Seiros." Jeralt replied. "Just let me sort things out with the men."

Alois nodded. "I'll need to organize the Knights as well." And the both of them walked off to ready their respective men for the trip.

_The Knights of Seiros… They do seem rather skilled._

Byleth paled at the familiar girl's voice, then glanced around. Oh dear. Sothis?

_What? You didn't think I was going to just disappear again did you?_

Byleth tried, very hard, not to think about how that was _exactly_ what he'd assumed would happen. From the sound of her indignant splutter, he didn't succeed.

"Hey, are you alright?" Claude asked him, a curious look on his face.

"Just fine." Byleth somehow managed to reply with a straight face. "I fight off a group of bandits _every_ morning before breakfast."

"Yes, the way you held your own against the bandit's leader was captivating!" Dimitri sounded admiring. "You never lost control of the situation. It showed me I still have much to learn."

"I appreciate your help back there." Edelgard acknowledged. "Your skill is beyond question."

It was a shame Byleth couldn't tell them about Sothis. He did have some skill, but it struck him as ironic that they were so highly impressed by the one thing he _hadn't_ managed to handle correctly on his own.

_Don't I deserve the credit?_

Oh because that would go over_ so_ well. Byleth couldn't wait to tell everyone about the voice in his head that let him see the future.

_Well when you put it _that_ way. _Sothis grumbled.

The silence might have stretched on a moment too long, but thankfully Alois returned with Byleth's father just then. "Alright, that's enough with the small talk." Alois rubbed his hands together in excitement. "It's time to head back to the monastery."


	3. Garreg Mach

_20th Day, Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

It was peaceful as they walked through the woods. Their footsteps were muffled by pine needles carpeting the path, which kept it quiet. So did their reduced numbers. Alois had detailed the majority of his knights to pursue the bandits, and Jeralt had sent the mercenaries on ahead to Faerghus to complete their contract without them. Now their tiny band trudged up the slopes towards the monastery, all nine of them.

After the morning, punctuated by violence and the sounds of battle, it felt wrong somehow to walk through such a calm forest on a sunny day. Jarring.

_Perhaps you're simply tired?_ Sothis suggested. _I know _I_ am._

Byleth doubted it. The fight had been easy. Short. The travel rations he'd eaten not long after were more than adequate for so little exercise. It was a little disappointing to turn down the village's hospitality, but they needed to reach the monastery as soon as possible, apparently, and it wasn't the first time Byleth had traded a hot meal for a cold one.

No this was something else. Byleth felt…_uneasy_. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

He glanced up the path, to where his father walked with Alois and the knights. They were conversing quietly enough that he couldn't hear them—excepting Alois who was too _loud_ to understand—but he thought he could see Jeralt smiling. It was a small one, certainly, but clearly genuine. For all his grumbling, Byleth could tell his father truly was pleased to see Alois again.

How many other people did Jeralt know in Fodlan? Surely he had met quite a few as the captain of the Knights of Seiros?

Byleth didn't know what to think about all that had happened at dawn. He'd fought bandits before, many times, but it wasn't the kind of thing one ever grew used to. Violence and death were an infrequent part of even a mercenary's life, since most jobs involved standing as a deterrent. And Byleth had never come quite so close to facing his _own_ death before. It was alarming, to say the least.

But as unfamiliar as that was, Byleth was confident he could have handled it without any difficulty, if not for all the _other_ ways his life had been shaken up that same hour.

Discovering that his father had a history that he'd never shared with Byleth…well it made sense, but there had never been any cause to question it before. In hindsight, Jeralt _must_ have some kind of past, but to Byleth he had simply always been there. A fixture of the world, much like eating and sleeping. It was like waking up one morning to discover the sky was no longer blue, and then realizing you had never considered why it was blue in the first place.

Jarring.

And now, when Byleth finally knew there were questions to ask, he didn't have the opportunity. It was obvious that whatever secrets Jeralt held involved both the monastery and the knights. Byleth couldn't expect him to discuss them openly in company with those very same knights.

He was going to have to wait for any answers, and that wasn't something he'd ever had to live with before.

"You never did answer my question." Claude noted from beside him, catching Byleth's eye.

"Hm?" He raised a brow. Claude, Dimitri and Edelgard had seemed content to join him in silence thus far, for which he was grateful, but it seemed his reprieve was over.

"About the Leicester Alliance." Claude reminded him of their discussion just after the battle. "Ever been there?"

"Oh. Yes." Byleth nodded. "I have. We sailed into Derdriu just over a month ago." Derdriu, of course, was the nominal capital of the Leicester Alliance, seeing as it was the home of the Sovereign Duke.

"Oh?" Claude eyed him thoughtfully. "Where from?"

"A little port in the south of Sreng." Byleth answered. "I don't remember what the locals called it."

"Are you not from Fodlan then?"

"I've never been here before." Byleth glanced over at Jeralt. It was his first time on Fodlan that he could remember, at least.

"You must have traveled a great deal…" Claude grew a mischievous smile. "_Can you speak it?_"

"_I can get by._" Byleth replied in the same language, albeit accented. "_I don't usually handle the clients_."

"Is that _Almyran_?" Edelgard frowned.

"It is!" Claude exclaimed, smiling at Edelgard. "It's such a shame nobody in Fodlan thinks to learn it. Almyra is one of our closest neighbors, after all."

"Yes, and they're constantly trying to invade, which is hardly a course of action that lends itself towards conversation." Dimitri noted.

"See, that's just the attitude that keeps the fighting going." Claude replied. "But enough about me, are you truly saying that you've been traveling your entire life, Byleth?"

"I have been traveling my entire life." Byleth acknowledged.

"Fascinating." Claude grinned. "Do you know where you'll be headed next then?"

"Next? I imagine we'll…" Byleth trailed off, glancing at his father agains. Alois—and his students—had roped the two of them into traveling to the monastery with them, but after that…Byleth wasn't sure. Their band of mercenaries usually followed where the work led them, and Jeralt had been the one to mostly sort through the various contracts available. Byleth hadn't ever bothered with any of that.

It struck him suddenly that _this_ was what had him feeling so uneasy. Byleth had grown used to following his father from job to job, but…visiting the monastery _wasn't_ a job. He didn't know what they would face there, nor what was expected of him. He didn't even know when they would leave. Jeralt may choose to stay for a day or a week or even longer, and Byleth didn't _know_ which he would choose. He hardly knew what to expect from his own father.

_No wonder you feel so uneasy._

And of course, this whole incident with Sothis was a bundle of mysteries he couldn't even begin to unravel. Byleth didn't have the slightest idea where to begin.

_Hey! You could try asking me._

Would that really work?

_Well…probably not…_

Byleth did his level best to project how unimpressed he felt at her. Then he realized how long he'd been silent. Even Edelgard was eyeing him with concern, and she had been mostly ignoring them all for the entire trip.

"I'm not sure." He admitted. He was going to have to figure out some way to avoid these internal dialogues with Sothis, or at least disguise them better. It wouldn't do to have people worrying over his mental state.

Especially when _he_ didn't know what was going on.

"Well then, if you don't have anywhere to go you could always head back to Derdriu." Claude raised an eyebrow at him. "I happen to know a guy who could use a man of your talents."

"Some kind of mercenary work?" Byleth queried. He couldn't think of anything else it could be, but Claude was difficult to pin down. He looked over at Edelgard and Dimitri. "Didn't the two of you have something in mind as well?"

"I did." Dimitri nodded. "Do, I mean. My homeland, the Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of skilled fighters." He hesitated, glancing at Edelgard. "I would be happy to discuss the details with you another time."

"That is, assuming you don't accept my offer." Claude leaned back with his arms over his shoulders. "Naturally, it will be completely superior to anything these two could offer."

Byleth thought he saw Edelgard roll her eyes, but she said nothing, so he ignored it.

"Right." He acknowledged. Not that it really mattered, but he could always tell Jeralt and maybe they would even find some work out of it. Fodlan's nobles did tend to control most of the more lucrative mercenary contracts on the continent, he'd noticed.

The continued on in silence, working their way ever closer to their destination. For a place Byleth had only ever heard about that morning, it loomed rather large in his mind.

"Since this will be your first time at the monastery." Dimitri noted. "I'd be happy to show you around."

"You don't have classes to attend?"

"We don't." Claude, answered for Dimitri, and shook his head. "The classes aren't set to begin for a little over a week, since most of the students are still getting settled in."

"Oh?"

"The students come from all over the continent." Dimitri explained. "And it can be difficult to predict how long the trip may take, so our classmates have been trickling in for over a week now."

"It really is Fodlan in a nutshell." Claude mused. "The good _and_ the bad."

"Like it or not." Edelgard dismissed calmly. "We'll be there soon enough."

Byleth would find out soon enough, he supposed.

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

Eventually the forest ended, and they came into sight of their destination.

Garreg Mach Monastery.

If Byleth had formed any expectations of it during the half day's journey, they were nothing to the massive stone castle that greeted his eyes now.

The monastery itself was enormous, easily the biggest structure he had ever seen. It was situated at the highest point of the mountain they had been climbing, with it's walls climbing several hundred feet higher from there. At the base of the hills, a larger wall encircled the only approach that _wasn't_ a massive cliff side. Smoke and steam rose up from the other side, which probably originated from something of a city, if Byleth wasn't mistaken.

It was truly a magnificent sight. Byleth had traveled through many different lands over the course of his life, but none of them, however grand, had ever constructed something on a scale such as this. It boggled the mind.

When they'd called it a monastery, he had expected something a little more _humble_.

"What a sight for sore eyes." Claude stretched his shoulders. "I cannot _wait_ to hit the sack."

_Oh! I quite forgot! These three haven't slept a wink in over a day!_

Byleth looked his companions over, a little confused. By all accounts the three of them had spent a full day on field exercises, fled throughout the night, and then fought a battle for their lives at dawn. It was actually quite incredible that they were still standing at the end of it, let alone the fact that they then spent the better part of a day marching back to the monastery.

Yet not a one of them looked as if they had been awake for more than an hour or two beyond their regular schedule. Something was going on here that Byleth didn't understand.

The knights and his father had paused at the end of the forest to wait for them, and Jeralt walked over with a wave.

"Alois was asking for you three." He told them. They pulled on ahead with a wave and left Byleth with his father as they all resumed course for the monastery. Their path out of the forest joined up with a smooth stone road at an angle before heading straight for the outer wall. They must have been following some kind of natural trail or less common road. Now thought they were going to arrive very shortly.

From beside him, Jeralt gazed up at the monastery with a frown.

"Father…" Byleth wasn't sure how to address this rising sense of unease, but he needed to try. Jeralt was obviously reluctant to return to the monastery. What was he missing?

"It's been years since I've last set eyes upon this place." Jeralt mused. "To be forced to see her now…"

He seemed lost in thought, but Byleth wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not.

"Her?" He prompted. Jeralt had clearly sought him out, maybe he wanted to explain?

"I've never spoken to you of this before, but…many years ago I was a knight here." Jeralt sighed. "I reported to the Archbishop…Lady Rhea."

"I thought this was where the Knights of Seiros were based." Byleth frowned. "Are you saying they're not just an order of knights?"

"Just an order of…" Jeralt shook his head. "I guess I never told you. The majority of the people of Fodlan are devout members of the Church of Seiros. The knights are the church's military branch."

A church with a military branch? That seemed strange although now that Jeralt had pointed it out…Byleth couldn't help feeling like a fool.

Fodlan was renowned throughout the world for its patron goddess, and yet he had made no effort at all to learn more about the native religion after finally arriving on the continent himself. He'd seen the crest of Seiros all over the place, but after it was identified in relation to the Knights of Seiros, he hadn't thought twice on the matter. It was likely the church was so ubiquitous in Fodlan that no one could imagine he _didn't_ know about it.

"So Lady Rhea…"

"Is the leader of that ridiculously large organization." Jeralt replied.

Suddenly his reluctance to come to the monastery was beginning to make a lot more sense. Anyone with as much power as the Archbishop held could easily make life difficult for a pair of simple mercenaries like them. And that would have been reason enough to avoid drawing attention _without_ adding in Jeralt's unexplained history with the woman.

"Should I be worried?" Byleth kept his voice quiet. Jeralt sighed and shook his head.

"No, we should be…" He frowned. "It should be fine. With any luck we'll be out of here in a day or two and on our way to meet up with the men in Faerghus."

"Alright." Byleth nodded. He was glad Jeralt had decided to fill him in on some of the details, if not all of them. Hopefully he could get the rest of the story out of his father after the visit was over.

_You might as well ask him now._ Sothis disagreed. _He seems more talkative than usual._

And how did she know that? Byleth wondered. Sothis was basically claiming to know his father rather well. He mentally raised an eyebrow at her, but got no response. She was probably going to continue to comment when and as it pleased her. Which wasn't ideal, but seemed harmless so far as Byleth could tell. Even if it _did_ startle him periodically.

Either way, Byleth wasn't going to press his father for answers yet. Jeralt clearly had his reasons for keeping his past a secret, and as much as Byleth longed for answers, he trusted his father to tell him when the time was right.

They caught up to the rest of their party shortly before the gates, which was surprisingly tactful of them to have waited. Byleth realized a moment later that it was because Alois appeared to have run into something of an obstacle.

"Can't you idiots tell its me?!" Alois shouted up at the closed gates. "Open up already!"

Incredibly, that worked. The massive wooden gates split down the middle and began to swing inward. Next to him, Jeralt covered his eyes and let out a tired sigh.

"Why did it have to be him?" He asked plaintively. Byleth patted him consolingly on the shoulder.

As the gates swung open, a view of the city within revealed itself slowly to them. Fine stone buildings stood arrayed in orderly lines around large plazas and even some small artificial streams. It was a refreshing sight after their latest run of missions among all the small villages in the middle of nowhere.

Given what he'd learned that morning, Byleth suspected Jeralt had been trying to avoid any…chance encounters…at the larger population centers of Fodlan. Ironic.

It soon became clear that there was something of a welcoming party waiting for them, as the gates had opened no wider than halfway before two individuals whose uniform matched Byleth's new friends marched out to greet them in short order.

They were a study in contrasts. One tall and large, with light grey hair and dark skin, the other was thin and pale, with dark hair that hung down to loosely shade his eyes. Dimitri and Edelgard stepped forward.

"Your Highness." The larger one bowed to Dimitri deeply. "I am relieved to see you return safely."

"My lady." The other one acknowledged Edelgard, also with a bow, although not quite as deep.

"Thank you, Dedue." Dimitri replied. "How did the others fare?"

"Hubert just came from the infirmary." Dedue replied with a gesture to his companion. "If you would?"

"Gladly." Hubert drawled, turning to address the group. "The rest of the students at the field exercise returned safely, with only minor injuries that Manuela healed easily." He sniffed. "Not that they deserved such treatment after abandoning _you_, my lady."

"It was hardly their fault, Hubert." Edelgard's tone was dry. "I left _them_, after all, chasing after this fool." She gestured at Claude.

The look Hubert turned on Claude could best be described as 'scathing'. Claude was as unfazed as ever though and turned to wink at you.

"No welcoming party for me, I see." He sighed dramatically. "I suppose I'll have to find a more loyal stalker for my second in command."

_Second in command?_ Sothis mused. _Aren't they all students together?_

Apparently not. Byleth hadn't thought to interrogate his new friends…and given the experience they'd just gone through he refused to feel guilty about that. He could probably find out easily enough after they'd had a good night's rest.

By that time though, the gates had finished opening to reveal a full party of soldiers, one of whom was walking forward to greet them. Alois met him halfway.

"Vincent, what's going on? Why were the gates closed?" Alois voice echoed against the walls.

"The messenger you sent last night never made it back." Vincent told him grimly. "The first we heard that there were bandits in the area was from the students and their escort, so we closed the gates as a precaution."

"Hm. Yes." Alois nodded. "Well done. But what are all of you doing standing around here?"

"We didn't have any leads to follow, so we just prepared to ride out the moment any news came in. We're waiting for your orders, sir." Vincent. He looked over to their small group with a concerned frown. "What's the situation?"

"The rest of the knights are tracking the bandits down." Alois told him reassuringly. "I need to report to Lady Rhea, naturally, and we should probably send them some reinforcements. Hey!" He smiled. "Would you look at that! You're all ready to go!"

"As you command sir." Vincent replied with a smart salute. Alois ordered one of the knights who came back with them to accompany Vincent and walked back over to their cluster of students and mercenaries.

"We've arrived." He seemed almost giddy with excitement as he spread his arms wide. "Welcome, to Garreg Mach."

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

The students split off from their company once they reached the monastery proper, which took another hour of walking, so it was a rather footsore duo who took a seat in the reception hall Alois guided them to. He had to carry on to deliver his report, but promised someone would be by to see them soon and called over a servant to get them some food.

Byleth didn't mind. After walking for over eight hours, it was a relief just to sit down, and with the promise of food on the way there really was no point in complaining. The hall seemed to be somewhat of a central location as well, which allowed Byleth to observe the various residents of the monastery passing through semi-frequently. Some of them wore the uniform of the officers academy, others the crest of the Knights of Seiros. Still others were dressed in formal robes that Jeralt told him were reserved for the clergy of the church.

It seemed the monastery was a busy place.

The only other people who were seated in the hall itself was a gaggle of girls surrounding a lanky youth with shocking red hair. He seemed to be regaling them with some tale or another, if their reactions were anything to judge by.

"Excuse me, are you Jeralt and Byleth?" One of the passing clergy asked them. Jeralt nodded, and the man smiled at them. "If you could please follow me, the Archbishop will see you now."

They were shown through to a room on the second floor, with elaborate stained glass windows and a beautiful facade. It was clearly intended as a room for the archbishop to meet with people and hear audiences. The archbishop herself stood at the center of the room, or at least someone who clearly looked like she _ought_ to be the archbishop.

Standing to her right was a man dressed in similar finery, likely another official of the church. And Byleth noticed that they both had green hair…

_Huh._ Sothis shrugged. _Maybe such hair is more common than you thought?_

"Thank you for your patience." The man addressed them with a nod of his head. "My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the Archbishop."

"Right." Jeralt replied. "Hello."

Seteth frowned, apparently thrown off by Jeralt's simple acknowledgement. Sometimes, Byleth loved his father.

"It has been a long time, Jeralt." The archbishop gave no sign of noticing Jeralt's breach of protocol. "I wonder…was it the will of the Goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?"

_Not unless her goddess is running around as one very loudmouthed knight. _Sothis joked.

Byleth did wonder though. Every land had its myths and religions, but only Fodlan's goddess was famed across the world. Did she actually interfere in their affairs?

"Forgive my silence all these years." And Byleth had to hide his surprise as Jeralt bowed deeply. His father didn't typically put on much of a show for anyone. "Much has happened since we last spoke."

"So I see." Rhea gestured towards Byleth. "The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. This is your child, is it not?"

Alois didn't tell her that?

"Yes…born many years after I left this place." Jeralt hesitated, and a note of pain crept into his voice. "I wish I could introduce you to his mother…but I'm afraid we lost her to illness."

"I see. My condolences." Rhea replied. She sounded sincere, and Byleth was grateful for that. Whatever past history lay between them, she at least seemed to care for his father.

The archbishop turned to face him. "As for you Byleth…I have heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students of the Officers Academy."

"It was nothing." Byleth replied. Jeralt grunted.

A small rueful smile passed over Rhea's lips, as she turned back to him.

"Jeralt. You already know what it is that I wish to say, do you not?"

"You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros." He sighed. "I won't say no, but…"

"Your apprehension stings." Rhea replied, and she did sound hurt. "I had expected that Alois would have already have asked this of you." She shook her head. "It is late, and I have to see to an urgent matter. It would please me greatly if you would agree to meet with me tomorrow when we have more time, both of you."

She was asking, but Byleth didn't really feel like they had much of an option given the circumstances. The peculiar thing was that she seemed to be looking at _him_ instead of his father when she spoke. Which…what interest could she possibly have in a lowly mercenary?

"Of course, Lady Rhea." Jeralt sounded resigned, and the archbishop's advisor frowned again but, thankfully, said nothing.

"Then it's settled." She smiled. "Seteth will arrange a room for your stay. I look forward to meeting with you again in the morning."

"Until then." Jeralt replied, and they followed Seteth back out the way they came.

"Alois mentioned that you had been fed?" He inquired as he led them back down the stairs and through a side corridor. Byleth answered in the affirmative.

"I see." He nodded. "Then I must ask that you remain in your quarters for the rest of the evening. Recent events have forced us to step up security, and there's no time to introduce you to the various patrols at the moment."

"Increased security…because of the attack?" Byleth frowned. From what he had seen so far it hardly looked like simple bandits could pose a threat to the monastery, let alone the city at the base of the hill.

"I'm afraid I cannot discuss the matter." Seteth, apologized, although he didn't sound in any way sorry.

They arrived at a door which Seteth opened. It led into a simple enough room with two beds. "If you are in need of assistance, please signal for the staff." And he pointed out a bell pull in the corner.

"I doubt we'll need it." Jeralt told him as he set down his pack. After a moment examining the room he turned back and sighed. "Do me a favor?"

"That would depend." Seteth raised a brow at him. "What is the favor?"

"Do _not_ tell Alois where we are." Jeralt shuddered. "If he wants to catch up it can wait for the morning."

"As you wish." Seteth sounded amused. Byleth suspected Seteth knew _exactly_ why Jeralt had asked. "We will be holding an assembly in the reception hall before breakfast tomorrow morning. Someone will come to fetch you for it. The archbishop will likely see you after the meal."

"Thank you." Byleth told him. Seteth simply nodded, and then left. Despite his general reticence and stiffness during their brief interactions, Byleth appreciated that Seteth did not actually close the door behind him on the way out. It made him feel less like an unwanted prisoner, and more like and actual guest.

He closed it himself a few moments later.

Jeralt was already seated on one of the beds, his head bowed. He often did that when he needed time to think…or maybe he was praying? Byleth wouldn't have thought it before, but his father _had_ been part of the Church's military branch. Perhaps this was but a lingering habit formed all the way back then.

Regardless, it gave Byleth a moment to gather his thoughts as well. He slid onto the opposite bed.

_This Lady Rhea_… Sothis whispered. Byleth nodded. Her hair was the same color as Sothis' was. What was the connection there?

Sothis didn't reply, but Byleth could almost feel her uneasiness…which matched his own.

His world had been flipped upside down more ways than he could count in the space of just one day. And now the leader of a powerful church wanted to meet with him personally. Byleth couldn't shake the feeling that he had been walking blindly through life.

"Do you still think we'll leave in a couple of days?" Byleth asked Jeralt. His father looked up, then frowned.

"Lady Rhea is…difficult to turn down." He admitted. "But she's not the type to abuse her power. We should be free to leave by the end of the week."

"And that's what you want?" Byleth asked him. Jeralt didn't respond immediately, and Byleth focused back on his father's face. Surprisingly enough, he looked conflicted.

"Ask me again in a week." Jeralt replied.

Byleth simply nodded, still a little surprised to see his father so openly uncertain. Well…a week wasn't too long, in the grand scheme of things. He'd just have to find some way to occupy his time.

Something that _didn't_ involve prying into his father's secrets, no matter how much they pressed themselves upon him. No matter how much his curiosity burned.

It was going to be a long week.


	4. The Officers Academy

_21st Day, Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

That night, Byleth's sleep was interrupted by a dream.

_It was raining. The sky was both dark and cloudy as water fell from the heavens in a steady pattern. The field of damp soil was trampled into mud by passing men and horses._

It began, as his dreams often had, with bloodshed.

_Weapons clashed as desperate men met in a whirlwind of chaos and death. Their horses cried out in pain, and their armor protested with every blow. The rain and mud churned red with every bloody step, turning the battlefield into a painted nightmare._

But this dream had dwelt on one person in particular.

_Her armor gleamed bronze and white, and her green hair glowed despite the darkness. All about her the battle raged, yet she gave no sign that she perceived the bloodshed. Her guard fell defending her against a vicious assault, crying her name in a plea for help, and yet she remained unmoved, her gaze fixed._

A faintly _familiar_ figure…

_"__Tell me Nemesis." The woman's voice dripped with a venomous hatred as she leaned over her foe with a face twisted in rage. "Do you recall the red canyon?"_

Byleth awoke with a start, uncomfortably sweaty. The last thing he had seen was this...Nemesis...eyes widening as she drove her dagger down.

_That woman…_ Sothis trailed off, even as Byleth thought back to the dream. The more he considered it, the more disturbed he felt.

Whoever she was, she had looked _exactly_ the same as Lady Rhea.

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

Hours later, and still feeling remarkably unsettled by his dream, Byleth found himself joined by Dimitri in the dining hall. Seteth and his father had abandoned him there after the morning assembly.

"Please accept my apologies for the other day." Dimitri told him from his seat across the table. "You came to our aid, yet I hadn't even the courtesy to properly introduce myself."

"We were somewhat busy at the time." Byleth excused him. It probably wasn't worth mentioning that Claude was the only one to introduce any of them.

"We were." Dimitri acknowledged. "But we have the time now. My full name is Dimitri Alexander Blaiddyd, and I am the crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus."

_Huh._

Dimitri must have seen the look on his face, because he raised his hands disarmingly.

"Of course, at the academy I am simply a student. Please do not feel the need to stand on ceremony."

"I don't think it works like that." Byleth told him, still feeling a little poleaxed. He'd been feeling wary of possibly offending Lady Rhea, especially after that concerning dream, but this entire time he'd been speaking with a prince! "Although…what would the proper form of address even be?"

Dimitri sighed.

"I would feel much more comfortable if you could continue treating me as you were." Dimitri told him. "I don't see why this has to change anything."

"It's 'Your Highness' for anyone of royal blood." Edelgard answered for him. "Your Majesty is reserved for heads of state, and Lord or Lady serves as a basic title for nobles." Byleth turned to see Edelgard standing beside him, her arms laden with plates full of food. Was that all for her?

She frowned at Dimitri.

"You won't do him any favors keeping him in ignorance." She told Dimitri, before nodding at Byleth and indicating the open bench beside him. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Byleth replied, and she seated herself laying the food out before her. Dimitri had a peculiar look on his face.

"That is a simplification." Dimitri told him. "But she is essentially correct. Did you want something, Edelgard?"

"Only the same thing you do," She replied easily enough, but clarified further at Byleth's look of askance. "Unless I miss my guess, the good prince was looking to recruit you for the mock battle."

"The one for the students?" Byleth clarified. Seteth had announced something about it during the assembly, but Byleth had not been paying much attention at the time. The majority of the morning assembly had been announcements for the students, and therefore rather boring. "I'm not planning to join the academy."

"And I wouldn't ask you to." Dimitri assured him. "I was merely hoping that you would agree to train with my house this week. We could use the practice, and your experience would be invaluable."

"An education with the academy would provide you with opportunities across Fodlan." Edelgard noted. "But you don't need it. No, I was also hoping that you would agree to train with _my_ house."

"I might be amenable." Byleth told them both. He was probably going to do some training anyway, depending on the length of their stay at the monastery. But first… "If someone could explain to me what you mean by 'house'." Surely they weren't referring to their nobles families?

"You haven't—" Edelgard seemed surprised. "Of course not, I keep forgetting that you're new to Fodlan. I'm surprised you don't have an accent."

"I learned the language from Jeralt." Byleth shrugged. "To be honest it was a little strange hearing everyone sound like me for a change, when I first arrived."

"Hm. To answer your question, the Academy is divided into three 'houses' for organizational purposes." Edelgard told him. "The Black Eagles, The Golden Deer, and the Blue Lions. Each of which represents one of Fodlan's great nations."

"The Kingdom, Empire, and Alliance?" Byleth clarified.

"Yes." Dimitri nodded. "Of course, not everyone is a member of their homeland's representative house, but by and large you will find that the students are organized accordingly."

"And you two are the head of your respective houses?"

"We are." Edelgard replied. "I am the head of the Black Eagles house, which represents the Empire."

"And I am the head of the Blue Lions." Dimitri added. "After the Kingdom."

"I suppose it makes sense for you to be the head of your house." Byleth mused consideringly. "Given your position."

"Dimitri has earned his place." Edelgard assured him. "But I never did properly introduce myself, did I? My full name is Edelgard von Hresvelg. I am the princess and heir apparent of the Adrestian Empire."

_Did she just say princess?_

Byleth paused for a moment as he considered that.

"Then you are _also_ royalty, your highness?" He asked her with a raised brow. Edelgard grimaced.

"I am not trying to intimidate you with my rank." She shook her head. "As I am in your debt, I merely felt that it was inappropriate to leave you in the dark for any longer. Especially now that we have returned safely to the monastery."

_Returned safely…_Sothis noted. _You _did_ think someone might be after these two yesterday, did you not?_

"Then…" Byleth noted carefully. "You believe the bandits yesterday were looking for you specifically."

"…it is one possibility." Edelgard shifted uncomfortably. "Claude and Dimitri are both highly ranked as well, however. It might have been any one of us, or all three."

"Claude?" Byleth couldn't deny feeling a little surprised. Their little trio already comprised two highly placed heirs…were they _really_ implying what he thought they were?

"Claude is the Sovereign Duke's grandson and heir." Dimitri explained.

"…so the bandits might have been after all three of you." Byleth frowned.

"Most likely." Edelgard replied, her face solemn. "There have been other assassinations in…recent history." Her eyes flickered across Dimitri's darkened face so quickly that Byleth thought he might have imagined it. "The life of a member of royalty is not by any means easy."

Byleth set down his fork, his appetite lost for the moment. To think that somebody had been trying to kill any of the three of them merely because of who they were…he couldn't imagine living with that kind of threat hanging overhead.

_Plenty of people have tried to kill you._ Sothis disagreed.

While technically true, none of the people trying to kill him had been after his life specifically. He was usually just in the way of their real goal, doing his job as a mercenary.

Sothis conceded the point.

"Why not just give it up?" He asked them quietly. That was what he and Jeralt usually did when they ran into particularly…unfriendly…people. They moved on.

"Never." Dimitri refused vehemently. "I have a duty to my kingdom, and to forsake it would be a betrayal of all those who put their trust in me."

"It _is_ tempting." Edelgard admitted. "But I cannot abandon my path, no matter how dangerous the road becomes."

They fell into an uneasy silence as Byleth stewed over their answers. He couldn't disagree…or at least he respected their resolve.

That didn't mean he had to like it though.

"Well, well, _well_." Claude's cheery voice filled the air as he leaned onto the table across from Edelgard. "If it isn't my three favorite…no _two_ favorite people." He winked at Byleth. "I'll leave you to guess who's who."

_What am I, chopped liver?_

Byleth managed not to snort.

"Claude." Edelgard seemed wary. "Did you need something?"

"Only a few moments alone with Byleth, of course." Claude smiled. "I hear there's a mock battle coming up…and I really want to pound you all into the dirt."

"You can hardly expect him to pick _your_ house." Edelgard replied sweetly. "He might want his new friends to actually _win_."

"Oh, you wound me." Claude clutched his heart dramatically, before addressing Byleth. "But I think you'll find training my house a little less…difficult, than the other two."

"Be that as it may," Byleth replied noncommittally. "I still don't know that I'll have the time to train with anyone."

"Leaving so soon then?" Edelgard asked.

"Probably not for a week." Byleth admitted. "But I can't be certain. The exact timing is up to Jeralt."

"If you're staying that long, you really should stay for the mock battle." Dimitri told him. "I should like to hear what you think of our performance."

"I don't know." Claude replied thoughtfully. "It's not as if any of our classmates have a great deal of experience."

"All the more reason to seek some assistance in the review." Dimitri disagreed.

"What do you say, Byleth." Claude shrugged. "Fancy watching a bunch of us running around like chickens with their heads cut off?"

"I'll ask my father." He relented. "But I'm not sure how you all expect me to pick which of you to train with."

_Just pick your favorite, obviously._

"Oh that's simple enough." Edelgard told him. "Just pick the one you least want to make into a lifelong enemy."

There was a moment of silence, as Byleth, Claude, and Dimitri all turned their heads in unison to stare at Edelgard, faces etched with consternation. She calmly speared a bite of eggs with her fork before glancing up at them all.

"What?" She looked between them, vaguely confused. Comprehension dawned as she took in the looks on their faces, and she rolled her eyes with a huff. "Obviously I was _joking_."

"Ri-iiiight." Claude drawled.

"No one is going to hold anything against you." Dimitri assured Byleth. "We're none of us that vindictive."

"Speak for yourself." Edelgard muttered, but Byleth thought he caught a mischievous upturn at the corner of her lips. He rolled his eyes.

"How about I just train with all three of your houses." He offered. "We can do one session with each house to keep things fair and balanced."

"That's an excellent idea." Dimitri smiled at him. "I don't know why I didn't think of it. What do you think? Edelgard? Claude?"

"It will do." Claude allowed. Edelgard nodded her agreement.

"Good." Dimitri smiled. "I was going to offer to show you on a tour of the monastery in exchange, Byleth, if you're interested."

Byleth considered. Seteth had _probably _intended for him to wait in the dining hall for his return, but on the other hand…this might be a good opportunity to take stock of his surroundings.

"That would be appreciated." Byleth admitted with a glance down at his plate. He was just about finished.

"Have a good time." Claude told them, clearly settling in for a chat with Edelgard.

"I'll see you both later." Byleth assured them, before he and Dimitri cleared their plates.

"Was there anything in particular you'd like to see?" Dimitri asked him, once they were headed for the exit.

_Actually, I have an idea._ Sothis told him.

Byleth nodded slowly as she explained her thinking.

"Does the monastery have a library?"

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

The monastery did indeed have a library, and it was easily the largest Byleth had ever seen. When Dimitri first showed him in he had been overwhelmed to see so many books all in one place. For all his life, books were a rare and expensive treasure, which he had to diligently hunt for in every city they passed through.

But this…the monastery had a dragon's hoard worth of the stuff.

_Just as I thought._ Sothis had smugly proclaimed. _We should be able to find some answers here._

Byleth had happily agreed, and successfully convinced Dimitri to leave him to his own devices. There were a large number of topics to look into. Sothis, his dreams, and Rhea's history with his father came quickly to mind. All he needed was the right information.

And libraries, as he swiftly grew to understand, are _full_ of information.

Here was a book on the liturgical practices of the church. There was a history of Faerghus' wars with Sreng. Another book was filled with lectures delivered by a noted traveling theologian just two hundred years prior.

It was like drowning in the middle of the ocean. How could he be surrounded by knowledge, and _none_ of it was useful?

"Did you need help finding something, young man?" An old librarian asked him. Byleth sighed, and offered him a sheepish grin.

"I'm afraid I do." He gestured at the stack before him. "I've been trying to find—"

_Recent history!_ Sothis interjected.

"…something on recent history." Byleth managed not to frown at Sothis' interjection. "But I've only just arrived and I don't know how the library is organized."

"Oh, not to worry." The man smiled. "I find that the library is a tad confusing myself sometimes. That's why we have a reference book at the front."

"A reference book?"

"Yes, just to keep things straight." The old man gestured with his walking stick over to the door. "But you've only just arrived, and already visiting the library? Tell me, I must know, what is your name?"

"My name is Byleth." He told him. "And you are?"

"Tomas." The old man chuckled. "But I will leave you to your reading. It is good to see one so young as yourself who is dedicated to his studies."

"Thank you for your assistance." Byleth replied. The kindly old man merely nodded and walked away, hunched over his cane. Byleth meanwhile made his way over to a small pedestal near the entryway, where, sure enough, there was a large tome that listed various titles and their location throughout the library.

…Recent history?

_Well, think about it. What do we really need to know first?_

Byleth did think about it, while he idly thumbed through the reference book, and eventually concluded that Sothis had been correct. True, he would prefer some kind of explanation regarding Sothis or his peculiar dreams, but Sothis' presence had proven to be purely beneficial thus far, and his dreams were an age old problem. He couldn't remember a time they _hadn't_ been around.

Meanwhile, studying recent history was both the most likely topic to lead him across Rhea's history with his father, and might even help him navigate Fodlan's surprisingly intricate politics. Definitely something he needed to make a higher priority given the way he'd been caught flatfooted at breakfast. Dimitri and Edelgard, and Claude for that matter, were friendly enough for nobles, but he doubted they'd be the last ones he meet during his stay in the monastery.

With that decided, Byleth turned his attention back to the tome before him. The book listed off several titles that stood out to him as useful, and he couldn't help feeling like a fool for all of those wasted hours picking books randomly off the shelves. Somebody needed to put the titles on the book bindings or something, to make them easier to identify.

It was the work of a moment to collect the books, and there was plenty of free seating. Byleth pulled open the first text and set to work.

* * *

_-Flower Red-_

* * *

"There you are." Seteth said, entering the library. Byleth glanced up in surprise. He had lost himself in his research amidst the quiet peace of the library and had failed to notice the man's approach.

"Here I am." He drawled back.

"The archbishop would like to meet with you, if that is agreeable." Seteth informed him. The look on his face made it clear that as far as he was concerned there was only one possible answer.

_Oh dear_.

"Of course." Byleth stood. Closing the book he had been reading, a history of the church, calmly. Despite racking his brains all day, he still had no idea what the archbishop wanted to meet with him for. It seemed he was about to find out.

"Right this way." Seteth told him.

They left the building and headed out into one of the monastery's gardens where Seteth showed him through to a well maintained space enclosed by tall hedges. Lady Rhea was seated at a small table beneath a gazebo with cups for tea set out, and rose to meet him as he approached.

"Byleth, it is good to see you." She greeted him. Unsure of the appropriate response, Byleth merely bowed silently in return, and in short order they were seated.

As he sat, and Lady Rhea began to quiz him concerning his morning, he couldn't help feeling inadequate. After all, while Lady Rhea appeared to be quite at ease, Jeralt had never taught him any thing about courtly manners or protocol. Byleth was undoubtedly making ignorant mistakes left and right.

Thankfully, the Archbishop of the Church of the Divine Seiros did not appear to be holding it against him.

_Seiros_. Unless he was mistaken, that was the name of the woman from his dream that morning. The famous saint who slew Nemesis was the Goddess' chosen hero sent to protect Fodlan from evil.

Over one _thousand_ years ago in the past.

After a series of successful wars, Seiros had unified the continent in an era of peace that was considered Fodlan's golden age, and had established the church to guide the Goddess' creations. The Archbishops were traditionally chosen from among the woman's descendants.

Such as Lady Rhea.

There was no official genealogy available, but Byleth felt safe in the assumption she was related to the saint. The resemblance was striking. It had been a relief to learn that he hadn't been dreaming about the archbishop herself that morning, although his research still didn't provide him with any truly satisfactory answers regarding his increasingly peculiar life. It didn't make sense for him to be dreaming of a woman long dead either, and that wasn't even considering the situation with Sothis.

But it had at least made him feel better about this meeting.

They drank tea from the low table, and Byleth did his best to politely answer her questions. She seemed particularly interested in his tour with Dimitri, which had led them across most of the grounds before they entered the library.

"And what do you think of our monastery, was it to your liking?"

Byleth considered. The tour had been pleasant enough, but he had been distracted by that dream and of course, had only really been looking to pass the time. Was she looking for a particular answer?

What _did_ he think of the monastery?

The gardens were beautiful, and the view of the surrounding mountains was quite good. The buildings were grand and well organized, but he'd ultimately just found his gaze drawn to the people. It was a strange collection, with the students mixing in with the church constantly. The way everyone walked about with a sense of purpose was interesting, and it was surprisingly peaceful.

"Ah." Byleth took a sip of his tea. "I rather liked it." It was true enough, and she could hardly be offended by a positive opinion of her own home.

"I'm glad." Rhea smiled, clearly pleased. "I had hoped you might, as I would like to invite you to join the staff of our officers academy."

Byleth didn't quite manage to contain his shock.

_Well _that's_ a surprise. _Sothis muttered.

"You want to hire me?" Byleth had been worried about her strong-arming Jeralt into rejoining the Knights of Seiros, so he hadn't been expecting her to try and recruit _him_.

"Yes." Was Rhea's simple response. She considered him as he took in that new information.

"You are surprised?" She asked him with a pleased smile. "After all, you clearly have the skills. Alois recommended you himself."

"_Alois?_" Byleth managed to restrain himself somewhat, but some of his astonishment still slipped through. What had he _possibly_ done to catch that man's attention?

"The way you stood to defend our students in that clearing, outnumbered and about to be overrun… He saw the look on your face." She pointed out. "Not a hint of panic, nor any fear. He almost thought you might defeat the bandits by sheer force of will."

Hearing that scene described from the outside hit him with a dull shock. Byleth remembered only the sinking feeling of failure, and the desperation he had felt. Certainly he had forged that emotion into a determination to see his charges survive, but that didn't change the facts. They had been in a tight spot and he hadn't seen any way out of it.

It reminded him that the archbishop was asking him to take on the responsibility for teaching these students how to fight. His success or failure would determine whether they _lived_ or _died_. This was hardly a light matter, and the weight that settled on him at the thought doused his rising panic quite effectively.

"I'm not qualified." He told her flatly.

"Seldom few are." Rhea replied with equanimity. "We often have to do the best that we can, and trust in the Goddess that it will be enough. I believe you are more qualified than you know. But perhaps an explanation is in order?

Byleth couldn't see any harm in that, because it seemed unlikely that she could say anything to change his mind. Rhea was also much more likely to accept his decision to decline the offer if he listened.

"Please." He replied tersely.

"The officers academy is a relatively newer institution, at least as far as Fodlan is concerned." Rhea informed him. "It was established two centuries ago in response to the incursions from Almyra, which posed a threat to all three of the great nations."

_A history lesson?_

Byleth didn't mind actually. At least he was learning something useful out of all this. Although the information was probably in the library somewhere…

"Consequently, while the academy is intended as a school to raise up the next generation of leaders, we have always placed a strong emphasis on gaining personal combat experience." Rhea continued. "In times of peace we train this by putting the students through numerous mock battles and similar exercises."

That all sounded well and good, but Byleth didn't see how it had anything to do with _him_.

"Our current faculty…is not very suited towards this goal," Rhea pursed her lips. "They have a great deal of expertise in their own chosen fields, but we are sorely lacking in the arena of firsthand combat experience."

Now Byleth was beginning to get the picture. He held up his hand to interject.

"What about the Knights of Seiros?" Byleth asked her. "Dimitri mentioned that they served as additional tutors already, why not select one of them for a full time position?"

"The Knights are one possible solution." Rhea acknowledged. "But they are stretched thin as it is. I can, and _will_ if necessary, appoint one to the academy. I would prefer to avoid it, if at all possible."

"So you decided to hire me." Byleth concluded for her. And naturally, she would disclaim Jeralt as an option for much the same reasons. Being that the Knights were stretched thin and she wanted him to rejoin them to help with their problems there.

Strange as it seemed, hearing this actually reassured Byleth a great deal. Lady Rhea had been looming over his head, a powerful figure with uncertain motives, and to hear that she had seen Jeralt and Byleth as a potential answer to some of her problems…well. That was how _most_ people saw mercenaries. Byleth could understand this kind of thing.

_That doesn't explain Jeralt's discomfort._ Sothis reminded him.

"I don't think my father intends to stay." Byleth told her. After all, qualified or not, it would all be moot if they left at the end of the week.

"Yes, he informed me of that this morning." Rhea admitted. "I will pray that the Goddess may touch his heart on the matter, but you do not have to follow him if you would choose to stay. You will always be welcome at the monastery."

"That's…" Byleth didn't know how to respond to that. It felt as if his mind had just stumbled over a stone on the road, and he was still trying to regain his footing.

"But I understand this is a lot to take in." Rhea assured him kindly. "I do not wish to pressure you, please take some time to think about it. Meet with the students, tour the rest of the grounds, and consider your options."

_Well that's considerate of her._

"How long do I have?" Byleth asked her.

"The classes are set to begin in a week." Rhea admitted with a wry smile. "So not as long as I would prefer to give you. I will need an answer by Sunday."

That was just six days away. Not a long time to make a life-changing decision. And Byleth truly didn't know what the right answer should be. He usually left such decisions up to his father.

_Perhaps you should ask Jeralt. _Sothis suggested. _He knows more than we do about this place, after all_

"I'll think about it." He allowed at last. Rhea smiled at him gratefully.

"Wonderful." She replied. "I will pray for the Goddess to light your path."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well I bet no one ever thought they'd see this, and to be honest neither did I! You can thank _inexacterminology_ for writing "Those Who Soar into Dawn", which is a fic on AO3 that I believe strikes many of the same notes I was going for with this story. They reminded me of just how much I love these characters/Three Houses story.

I'm partway into the next chapter already, so hopefully I can get back into a regular routine here. If you feel inclined to encourage me reviews/PMs with feedback are your best option!


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